Digital Commons Network^™

Who Taught The Tech? A 3-Minute Bias Check For Ai & Search Engines, Jessica Kiebler

Social Justice Week

When you search Google or prompt a generative AI tool, what happens behind the scenes to provide your answer? How might the tool replicate existing biases in its results or response? At this tabling session, experiment with different searches to see how algorithms can reproduce social prejudice and bias. Leave with questions to ask and a flyer of search strategies for evaluating information created by algorithms.

Implementation Of A Standardized, Multimodal Safe Sleep Education Policy For Newborns, Emma C. Cook, Anisa E. Toliver

Scholars Week

This evidence-based practice project proposes updating a regional hospital’s infant sleep policy to include standardized, multimodal safe sleep education. The goal is to improve adherence to safe sleep practices and reduce the risk of sleep-related infant death using interventions such as multiple forms of standardized parent education, consistent staff modeling of safe sleep practices, environmental modifications, and routine bassinet audits. This project uses Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory to strengthen parental understanding and promote safe sleep environments during hospitalization and at home.

Improving Fall Risk Assessment In Inpatient Rehabilitation, Sarah B. Flick, Aaliyah Garcia, Trista Hamblin

Scholars Week

This evidence-based practice project examines how fall-risk assessment can be improved for patients in inpatient rehabilitation by incorporating rehabilitation-specific functional factors into the existing assessment process. A review of four research studies identified toileting, transfers, ambulation, cognition, previous falls, and functional limitations as important considerations for fall-risk identification. The project proposes a structured functional review to supplement current assessment tools, with a phased implementation plan using staff education, a pilot program, and ongoing evaluation to support patient safety and individualized fall-prevention interventions.

What Can Horses Teach Us About Becoming Better College Instructors? More Than You Might Think, Laura Collander

Colloquiums

Professor Collander discusses the surprising connections between equine behavior and the art of teaching. Drawing on lessons from horses' remarkable sensitivity to trust, communication, emotional intelligence, and learning environments, we will explore practical strategies for fostering student engagement, psychological safety, and meaningful academic relationships. Effective teaching depends on more than content expertise. It requires trust, communication, emotional awareness, and the ability to create environments where learners feel safe to grow.

The Cost Of Knowledge In Higher Education: Open Access Agreements And Uta Libraries, Amy Castillo, Vanessa Garrett

Open Access Week

The Cost of Knowledge in Higher Education: Open Access Agreements and UTA Libraries Join us for a discussion on the evolving landscape of scholarly publishing and open access in higher education. Learn how open access agreements are reshaping access to research, reducing barriers to knowledge, and supporting the academic community at UTA and beyond. Topics Include: • What are open access agreements?
  • How publishing models impact researchers, students, and libraries. • The role of UTA Libraries in supporting open scholarship. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.

Ruins In Reverse: Landscape Painting, Time, And The Galleria At Crystal Run | Srps Fall '26 10/21, Kristopher Benedict

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Professor Kristopher Benedict, Art + Design, presents "Ruins in Reverse: Landscape Painting, Time, and the Galleria at Crystal Run".

Scoping Review Project As Professional Development Opportunity For Systematic Review Librarians, Sharon Duffy, Matthew Folse, Elizabeth H. Holt, Rowan Marye, Chandler D. Smith

Library Faculty Publications

Health science librarians trained in systematic reviews typically provide support that is limited to search design and execution, with less involvement in subsequent project phases. To address this gap, a team of librarians undertook a scoping review to develop expertise across the full spectrum of evidence synthesis activities.

A team of systematic review librarians initiated a scoping review to identify and map the health science literature related to Hurricane Katrina and its long-term impacts, using a curated institutional bibliography as a pilot dataset. This professional development initiative enabled the team to gain hands-on experience with Covidence software across all stages …

Designing With Intent: A Comparative Analysis Of Custom Ai Chatbots As Udl-Aligned Tools For Multidisciplinary Instruction, Ephraim Q. Teye, Clarissa Oteng-Darko, Leping Liu

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

The growing presence of AI in higher education has prompted instructors to move beyond passive adoption, to deliberate theory-grounded design. This session presents two custom AI chatbots (DisneyBot and Rico) developed within a teacher preparation course as the technology-enhanced component of a multidisciplinary instructional unit. DisneyBot is built on the ChatGPT platform to guide learners through an exploration of Disney parks, and Rico, is built on the Gemini platform as an interactive guide to information about Puerto Rico by scaffolding learning across four subject-specific lesson modules – Social Studies, ELA/ENL, Science, and Spanish. Both chatbots were developed to support differentiated …

Core Mathematics Applications Using Ai, Zachary Porter

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

This presentation examines ways to use prompts with AI to build on the applications of core mathematics topics involving algebra, finance, probability, and statistics. We will use AI to discover how the topics in core mathematics could apply to students regardless of their major.

Designing Custom Chatbots For Classroom Use: Practical Examples, Benefits, And Current Limitations, Akio Abe, Farrukh Nazir

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

Recent advances in generative AI have made it increasingly possible for individual educators to design and implement their own custom chatbots without advanced programming skills (Abe & Kaneshige, 2025). This workshop introduces practical examples of custom chatbots developed for educational purposes and discusses both their affordances and limitations for classroom use.

We would like to share a chatbot creation experience, which we spent one hour building, with a 30-minute presentation. For each chatbot, we will explain its intended purpose, target users, basic specifications, and expected classroom applications. We will also describe the development process, including how the presenters designed the …

From “I’M Not A Coder” To “I Built A Website”: Teaching Business Concepts Through Ai Vibe Coding, Jean Jeon

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

This presentation shares my experience developing an AI vibe coding project for business students with little or no coding experience. Students first replicated a website, then created their own improved version and learned from peer feedback. Through trial and error, they revised their prompts and applied course concepts related to target audiences, user experience, branding, and business models. What began as an AI tool assignment became a learning-by-doing experience that encouraged students to think like marketers. I will share the project structure, student learning process, and lessons I learned while learning alongside my students.

Trust But Verify: Testing A Framework For Ai Interrogation In Nursing Education, Michael Chamberlain

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

Generative AI produces fluent, confident output that is sometimes fabricated. Nursing students increasingly submit work built on sources that do not exist, or that exist and do not support the claims drawn from them. This session reports two semesters of classroom observation testing whether prompt design can address that problem.   The hypothesis was that structuring student prompts to require the AI to validate its own sources would improve detection of hallucinated citations. It did not. Across two sections, students who used the structured format caught fabricated citations at the same rate as students given an open prompt. Structure did change …

Appendix: Montana Science Teachers Association (Msta) Presentation, 2026, Garon C. Smith

G. Wiz’s Book of Spells

This appendix contains the PowerPoint file that was presented as the keynote address to the Montana Science Teachers Association at the Montan Federation of Public Employees convention on October 15, 2026 at Charles M. Russell High School in Great Falls. The talk that accompanied the slides was focused on how I use dramatic demos to introduce a new concept to my class. If you can capture their interest going into a new unit by letting them experience first-hand what its content concerns, you are more likely to keep them engaged. It gives them a real experience to associate with abstract …

Caffeine Concentration: An Analysis On Bumble Bee Foraging Efficiency, Carson Leonard, Becky Hansis-O’Neill, Aimee Dunlap Phd

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Caffeine (trimethylxanthine) is a synthetically and naturally produced stimulant that has been shown to elicit an effect on the central nervous system of humans as well as invertebrates. Although the exact mechanisms by which caffeine alters biological processes in invertebrates are still being investigated, its physiological and behavioral effects have been extensively documented. Naturally occurring caffeine is produced by certain flowering plants, including cocoa and tea species, and has been shown to influence invertebrate behavior, particularly cognitive performance and foraging patterns. In pollinating insects, the exposure to caffeine in floral nectar may affect how pollinators evaluate, select, and revisit food …

Transposon Mutagenesis Identifies Genes Involved In Salicylate-Induced Regulation Of Cyclopropane Fatty Acid Expression And Membrane Lipid Modification In Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium, Presconique Cooper, Taiwo Iromini, Lon Chubiz

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Salicylate, a topical antiseptic and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is known to induce physiological stress adaptation in bacteria. One such adaptation involves the cyclopropanation of unsaturated membrane fatty acids, a process that enhances membrane integrity under stress conditions. In Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium 14028S, the cfa gene encodes cyclopropane fatty acid synthase, a key enzyme that modifies membrane lipids to promote stress tolerance. To understand regulatory mechanisms underlying salicylate induction of cfa expression, a lacZ reporter system was employed to screen a library of transposon mutants for altered cfa promoter activity. Mutant 243 showed a pronounced 5-8 fold decrease in …

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Disease Made Invisible By Stereotypes, Isabella Tober

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a very complex disease that is often overshadowed by public opinion. Stereotypes within modern-day media have turned this disease into a social joke, leading individuals to suffer in silence and isolate in fear of judgment. Historically, society has allowed this invisibility to be placed upon the disease, but so has the medical industry through misdiagnosis and inaccurate treatment. The reality of OCD is very real and impactful for those living with this condition. Through proper education and exposure to the truth behind OCD, negative discourse will turn positive, ultimately allowing people to feel visible and seek proper …

Ucc General Education Proposal 9-15-26, Angela Brock

General Education Committee

No abstract provided.

Genai And The Self Represented Litigant, Kristen Clarke Kellems, Kristen Clarke Kellems, Kristen Clarke Kellems

Faculty Publications

Generative AI is making it easier for self-represented litigants to produce polished legal documents, but easier filing does not necessarily lead to better outcomes. This presentation examines how AI may expand access to courts while increasing weak filings, early dismissals, and burdens on the legal system.

The session reviews attorneys’ duties of technological competence, confidentiality, supervision, and citation verification. It also distinguishes general-purpose AI from legal research tools. Using a Utah third-party custody and guardianship problem, the presentation compares several tools based on statutory accuracy, legal comprehension, treatment of case law, and completeness. The results show that identifying controlling cases …

Presentation – Research Experiences For Students At Njit & Nsf 2026, Cristo Leon

STEM for Success Resources

This 60-minute virtual seminar introduces NJIT students to research as an integral part of their academic and professional development. The presentation explains why undergraduate and graduate students should consider participating in research, how to identify appropriate research topics and faculty mentors, and how research experience can strengthen graduate-school and career preparation.

The seminar highlights research opportunities available through NJIT, including Undergraduate Research and Innovation (URI), summer research programs, research centers, internships, and interdisciplinary research environments across science, engineering, health, sustainability, data science, education, and the social and behavioral sciences. Participants are also introduced to federal opportunities supported by the National …

Effects Of Life-Extending Compounds On Body Composition In Long-Lived Growth Hormone Receptor Antagonist Mice, Matthew Kirstein

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

Early body composition responses to longevity-promoting dietary interventions in long-lived growth hormone receptor antagonist (GHA) mice reveal significant treatment-associated physiological differences, with ongoing studies evaluating their relevance to long-term survival and overall functional aging outcomes.

Unitas, Isaiah Greene, Luke Graban, Michael Bernay, Juan Alonso

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

A mobile app that allows users to post and find real world events and join them on the app to get details and indicate participation in real life.

Utilizing Legal Frameworks In Rural Appalchia, Max Baker

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

A thematic coding of various medias surrounding the MTR being done on the Gauley Mountain in WV, searching for legal frameworks available to rural Appalachians.

Self Perceived Vs. Objective Emotion Recognition In Undergraduates Without Autism Spectrum Disorder, Lucy Curtin, Hannah Flynn

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

In this project, we are examining the performance on a social perception task in people with and without concerns regarding social perception.

Anxiety Does Not Affect Oculomotor Reaction Time In Collegiate Athletes, Braeden Carolan

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

Comparison baseline oculomotor reaction time in collegiate athletes with and without anxiety.

Digital Audio Amplifier With Integrated Dsp, Alec Sebrell, Andrew Clabaugh, Cooper Smith

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

This project is a Class D amplifier that uses digital audio inputs for direct digital signal processing.

A Systematic Review Of Prejudice Against Immigrant Women In Organizational Leadership In The United States, Vanessa Ampofoa Boadu

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

This study examines how gender, nationality/immigration status, and ethnicity shape workplace experiences, impact professional advancement, and overall productivity

Effects Of Developmental Temperature On Neuron Density In Key Regions Of The Female Xiphophorus Multilineatus Brain​, Jocelyn Newton, Emma Wanat

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

To determine whether developmental temperatures shape the neuronal composition underlying mate choice, we quantified neuron density across key brain regions in X. multilineatus females reared in high- and low-temperature environments.

Silence And Visibility: Media Framing Of Industrial Pollution And Health Risks  In Appalachian And Niger Delta Print Media, Adetola Fajembola

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

Communities living near oil extraction and coal mining sites face serious environmental and health risks, yet these risks are often absent from public conversation. This study examines how print media cover industrial pollution-linked health risks in two regions defined by extractive industries — the Niger Delta in Nigeria and Appalachia in the United States — between 2011 and 2020. Although these regions are geographically and culturally different, both bear the environmental and health costs of extraction while remaining underrepresented in media coverage that shapes public awareness and policy response. Using mixed methods content analysis of eight legacy print newspapers, the …

From Tal-Corset To Tuomeiyi: Inter-Asian Referencing Of Feminist Resistance Against Hegemonic Beauty Standards, Eva Liu

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

How inter-Asian referencing of feminist knowledge shapes everyday feminist resistance against hegemonic beauty standards in contemporary China.

Generative Ai And The Transformation Of Instructional Design Practice, Nour El Houda Maache

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is becoming increasingly common in higher education, yet little has been studied on how it is changing the everyday work of instructional designers (IDs). This qualitative study explores how IDs experience changes in professional practice following the integration of GenAI. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seventeen IDs working in U.S.